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ISS Virtual Secondary Library Learning Center: Knowledge and Indigenous Societies

Home page for the secondary library at the International School of Stavanger

Knowledge and Indigenous Societies

 

Examines the definition of indigenous societies, whether it is essential to understand them, and the nature of indigenous knowledge and values.
 

Key questions:
What values and assumptions lay behind the term "Indigenous knowledge'?
What is the role of oral tradition in creating and communicating knowledge? How
reliable is it? Does it matter?
Who owns knowledge? What knowledge is lost when an indigenous society dies?
Can we ever be neutral when judging knowledge claims that conflict with our own
culture?

Key Concepts

Should we try to define or identify indigenous societies?  What can developed societies learn from them?

 

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Is the process of producing, applying and sharing indigenous knowledge similar to or different from other systems?

 

Is it possible to "own" knowledge?  Is cultural appropriation a violation of collective intellectual property rights?

Cultural Appropriation from Djinjama on Vimeo.